Resilient cap and container closed thereby



Feb. 26, 1952 c. J. JESNIG 2,587,327

RESILIENT CAP AND CONTAINER CLOSED THEREBY Filed May 12, 1948 INVENTOR Patented Feb. 26, 1952 RESILIENT CAP AND CONTAINER CLOSED THEREBY Charles J. Jesnig, Florida Park. Pa., assignor to Package Devices, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 12, 1948, Serial No. 26,687

v 1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to resilient caps of the character which surround and engage over the mouth of a container, and to containers suited for use therewith.

A purpose of the invention is to provide a resilient plastic cap having inner and outer rings one surrounding another and spaced from one another at the gripping end.

A further purpose is to provide a resilient plastic cap which will hold firmly on the mouth of a container having relatively low side wall tolerance, without exerting undue force or running the risk of breaking the container.

A further purpose is to provide a gripping ring on the side wall of a cap within an outer ring, and desirably to employ a bead on the interior of the-gripping ring, with or without a coopera- I 'tive bead on the exterior of the'mouth of the container.

A further purpose is to grip by a portion on thecap having relatively smaller inside diameter which is separated from the surrounding side wall by an annular groove.

A further purpose is to provide an abrupt face toward the end wall on th'e'gripping ring. 7 A further purpose is to interrupt the circumference of the'gripping ring. I

A further purpose is to make the outside of the side wall generally straight, with the outside diameter of the outer ring extending in prolongation of the portion of the side wall adjoining the end wall.

A further purpose is to provide a closure which can be made efiectively from polyethylene and the like. p

Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claim. v

In the drawings I have chosen to illustrate a few only of the various embodiments in which my invention may appear, choosing the forms shown from the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation and clear demonstration of the principles involved.

, Figure l is a perspective of one form of cap embodying the principles of the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective of a container to which the cap is adapted to be applied.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the cap of Figure 1. v

I Figure 4 is a fragmentary Ben the line 4-4. v Figure 5, is a view corresponding to Figure 4, except that it is sectioned on the line 5-5 of Figure 3, and showing the cap applied to a straight ended container.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of a variation in the cap of the present invention.

section of Figure Figure 7 is a view corresponding to Figure 5 showing a variant form of container mouth.

Figure 8 is a view corresponding to Figuresv 4 and 5 showing the invention applied to a dispensing closure.

Figure 9 is a central vertical section of a container mouth and variant form of cap in accordance with the invention.

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragment of Figure 9.

Describing in illustration but not in limitation and referring to the drawings:

In the present practice, numerous small bottles, vials, cans and other containers are closed by internal plugs, corks, or the like, which are used with indifferent success because the toleranceon the mouth of the container, particularly when made of glass, is very wide and often the inside or outside diameter may vary between the maximum and minimum limits by as much as 0.020 inch. If the internal closure is designed to provide adequate tightness of fit under conditions of maximum internal diameter, it is likely to be too tight under conditions of minimum internaldiameter, and the result has been frequent failure of containers due to splitting under the bursting force applied by the closure. Furthermore in non-porous plastics, a tight plug when applied to a liquid container is likely to compress air and fail to retain its seat. I

The difiiculties inherent in the manufacture of such internal plugs have interfered with ,the application of resilient plastics to closures of the type under discussion, notwithstanding that the properties of such plastics admirably suit them to this service from other standpoints. A particularly desirable form of plastic for this purpose is polyethylene, which is quite impervious to moisture and various common gases, and is quite inert and safe in contact with pharmaceutical products, foods and the like. This material "is, however, compartively stiff, and is likely to give trouble through bursting when used in internal plugs.

In accordance with the present invention, a cap is provided for gripping the outside of the mouth of a container, in which the gripping action is provided by an internal gripping ring forming part of the side wall, which is separate from a surrounding outer ring, thus assuring adequate resiliency of the gripping ring j'itself while at the same time permitting sufficientthickness in the side wall.

The cap of the present invention is best suited for manufacture from a resilient plastic of the character of polyethylene, but it can less desirably be manu"actured from other resilient plastic materials, such as polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl like closure in various forms, except for the form of Figure 8, in which it is shown as a dispensing end having an opening 2| suitably threadediat 22 and receiving a separate cap 23 conveniently internally threaded at 24.

Joined to the end wall at the circumferential edge and normally integral with it is a side wall, skirt or flange 25 which is suitably annular to conform with the shape of themouth of'the container and may in its upper portion adjoining the end wall be quite thick as shown at 26, so as to give considerable rigidity to the edge. At

*the end of the side wallopposite from the end .wall,' the side wall is separated by an annular groove 21 extending) for a suitable distance through'thelength'of 'the sidewall, in'the preferred embodiment about one-third or one-- fourth of' such length, but varying widely in different-forms, so as'to provide an inner gripping vringZB and an outer gripping ring 29 separatedlby the groove 27. Thethickness' of 'the inner-'ring28 will 'depend'upon the desired gripping force and the innerring 28 will be thin if :suchgripping force is to be slight and will be thick'ifsuch grippingforce is to be great. It will benoted, however, that the presence of the annular groove Zlma'kes it possible'to' provide suclfzgripping'force independently of the desired thickness of the sidewall.

The interior of the'inner gripping ring 28 will preferably be provided with an inner bead 3B which: will cause an inward extension of the lower-effctive-end. of the inner gripping ring 28 beyond the inner. line of the side wall so as to concentrate the gripping force on a small area.

While the inner "bead .30 is desirable; advantage maybe obtained from the invention without employing this feature;

In operation the cap isforced down over the outside 3| of the mouth 32 of a suitable container such as a bottle or vial 33,- causing the inner gripping ring v28 to expand'as shown in Figure into'the space of the groove 21 and-causing the interior bead 30 to hug the'outsideofthe container." The-snap actioncan be made very much morereffectiveby providing ahead 34' (Figures '2,

deepened to facilitate the removal of the molded partsfrom the mandrel, and to impart greater resilieneeinuse.

Where liquids are contained in-the:container it is pre'ferable'to u'seanunbroken' gripping ring as shown in Figurev 6, but where dry materials such asz tablets or the like which .are not especially hygroscopic are being contained, increased'resiliency may be imparted to the gripping ring by breaking orperforating the gripping ring and beadat35"atsuitable points around the circumference, so as to permit greater flexing of the gripping bead and gripping ring.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the side wall may have a larger interior. diameter. at 36 near the end wall to provide an annular recess to receive the bead 34 on the outside of the mouth of the container, and may have near the end of the side wall remote from the end wall a ring or portion oflsmallerinternal diameter 30' which locks behind the mouth. The portion 30 will preferably be ,straightin internal cross section at 31 and will preferably vhavelan abrupt change in diameter on the face 38 facing the end wall. The face 38 atlits inner end engages the bead on the container. The outside ring 29 may be externally flared at 29' at the lower end.

It will be evident that in accordance withlthe invention the force applied inholding the cap on the container will be directly inwardly so that there will be no tendency to burst the container by a bulging force as has been present ,in the prior art internal plugs.

Experience'hasxshown that the improved'closure of the present invention can'be applied and removed more reliably than the plugs; and'will assure quick and easy removal and replacement even when the user-does'not apply special attention to the operation;

It will be evident that the cappingvof liquids in glass vials or the like is very, easy because there is no-plug intrusion into the container and no appreciable air compression inlcapping according to the invention.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular. need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in theart, to obtain all orpart of the benefits of my invention without copying: the structure shown, and I, therefore, claimrall such insofar as they'fall withinthe "reasonable spirit and scopeof my claim;

l laving thus described my' invention'what I clatim as new and desireto secure by Letters Pat'- en is:

In a container, a vessel having a neck provided w1th an exterior-endless annularneck ring'extending out radially beyond the adjoining portion of the neck, and a polyethylene cap having an end portion closing the otherwise "open" end of the neck and sealing against the'end of the 'neck, and an integral endless annular side wall connected to the end .portion and extending around the outside of the neck ring and beyond the neck ring away from the end of the neck, the side wall including an endless .annular interior flange integral with the rest of the sidewall, separated from the portion outside by an open groove free from occupancy by any container walland extending from the end of the side wall toward the end of the neck ring, joined to the rest of the side. wall at the outside 'of the innerfiange and at a position toward theend of the neck with respect to the end of the side wall, the innerfiange engaging the neck ring on the side of the neck ring remote from the'end of the neck, and an'outer'fiange outside the inner flange and extending to the-end of the inner'fiange, the groove allowing theiinner flange inside the groove to expand'and contact during application and removal of thecap independently of the outer flange.

CHARLES J. JESNIG;.

(References-on followingpage) external bead on the container 5 REFERENCES CITED Number The following references are of record in the file of this patent. 2099056 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,266,270 Number Name Date 2,365,338 Re. 8,382 Harris Aug. 20, 1878 2,399,117

66,212 Burnet July 2, 1867 1,316,231 Hammer Sept. 16, 1918 1,435,214 Coombs Nov. 14, 1922 10 Number 1,703,573 Carvolho Feb. 26, 1929 391,267 1,706,249 Naum Mar. 19, 1929 Name Date Lerrill Sept. 10, 1935 Sacks Apr. 28, 1936 Ferngren Nov. 16, 1937 Roth Dec. 16, 1941 Linderfelt et a1. Dec. 26, 1944 Hart Apr. 23, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Apr. 27, 1933 

